


Iron America And The Captain

by AntoniaArcStark



Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: AU - Canon Divergence, Avengers Vol 1 #4, Comic Relation, Community: cap_ironman, Frozen War Hero Blacksmith Tony, Headcanon, M/M, Movie Relation, Rich Secret Identity Artist Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 07:44:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4868867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntoniaArcStark/pseuds/AntoniaArcStark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony and Steve switch places; Tony is the frozen war hero out of his time and Steve is the wealthy, modern day superhero. #prompt</p>
            </blockquote>





	Iron America And The Captain

**Author's Note:**

> I love Steve's artistic side so I'm going to have him be a famous painter and Tony be a typical blacksmith turned war hero.
> 
> Also, I know Crimson Dynamo isn't in the original Masters of Evil team (he was in Avengers Vol 1 #130), but for the sake of having Tony's Villain as the leader, and not Cap's Baron Zemo... here's Anton Vanko!
> 
> Enjoy!

Steve had it all. The looks, the money, the girl's chasing him around every corner. But he felt empty. Like he could be more. Of course, he had the strength to do more… not that anyone knew it.  
So it set out to be a hero. The ones he'd said hello to at famous events, the ones who'd been on the same talk shows as him. The ones he wanted to be.  
Soon enough, the world had The Captain, mysterious superhero that came out of nowhere. No one knew who he was, and he wanted it to stay that way.  
And popping into his life, the team came along.   
It was all a misunderstanding that turned out to be something great. They worked together to defeat Loki, fighting along side one another. And in the end, after Ant Man pointed out they were a good team, Wasp announced they should be deemed the 'Avengers'.  
Steve was happy with them. But _still._ He felt as if a part of him was missing...  
Then it happened really fast. They were in the North Atlantic. And found something among the ice.  
Thor and Cap had dragged the clunky item out of the water, and laid it out on the table. They stared in awe. It was big, metal and resembled a man.  
"Tis a robot!" exclaimed Thor.  
Hank fingered the rusting surface, lips twisted in confusion. "No. I think... I think it's a suit."  
The team marvelled. A suit of armour! That had to mean... someone was _inside._ No one wanted to open it up. What if the person was dead?  
Taking a brave step forward, Steve said in his faux tone, "If someone is in there... there's still a chance that they're alive."  
The suit sat up at the words, causing them to stumble back in surprise. It aimed it's arm at each one, and began to breath heavily, as if it had woken up from a nightmare.  
"Are you Nazi?" the voice, a man's, snapped. "Sie sind Nazi? _Ja?"_  
_"Oh_ my gosh! It's Iron America," blurted out Wasp, fluttering near to the man.   
Through the slits in the faded blue mask, Cap could see two eyes gazing at her, shocked that she was so small _and flying_. Of course he was. This was Iron America! War hero. The _first_ hero. He was the strangest thing going back then.  
He probably was mixed up with confusion and dread. He'd been in the ice for 70 years. Everything had changed since his time.  
"Where am I? America? You're American, right?" he asked, looking around the inside of the plane, completely mesmerized.  
"We are. But you're in the North Atlantic," replied Hank. "You were down in the ice."  
"How long? A year? _Five_ years?" he questioned. "Don't tell me ten!"  
The Avengers glanced at one another. Eventually their eyes trailed to Cap, and he knew he would have to break the news. How would he tell this legend that everything he knew and everyone he knew were long gone?  
"You were in there..." he paused. He had to do this. _Finish the sentence_. "Seventy years."  
Iron America gasped, arm creaking as he lifted his hand to his mouth slit. When no one spoke, he doubled over, shielding his mask with both hands.   
"Rhodey," he whimpered. "He's gone. Pepper. Jarvis. Gone."  
Jan reverted back to normal size, and slipped her arm around his rusting shoulders. Although he couldn't feel it, the kind act seemed to help, as he soon sat back up, thanking her and them all for rescuing him.  
"Tis an honor, Iron America," answered Thor with a lift of his hammer.  
Having nowhere to go, Steve said their supplier (himself; not that any of them knew) would take another member on if he wished. The War hero's blue eyes appeared to smile, although a little sadly  
"It would be a pleasure," he said. At that, he lifted his helmet off, revealing a handsome dark haired man underneath. "But please... call me Tony."  
And surprisingly, Steve's heart fluttered.  
  
  
  
He showed Tony around the Mansion. The man beside him couldn't keep his mouth from hanging open, eyes wide.   
The difficult part was trying to explain what the electronics were. He didn't really get the knack of them himself, so trying to tell him about how the TV worked was like solving how the world came about. The veteran seemed to be able to play around with the gadgets and figure them out, which surprised Steve.  
He explained this was all for the Avengers' to enjoy (because that's what Mr. Rogers had said).  
"I'd like to meet the guy," said Tony. "To thank him for all of this."  
Steve gave a sly smile. "Oh. I think he knows how grateful you are already."  
The War hero peered at the paintings on the walls, seeing the signature sprawled across it. One was of the mansion, and Steve was proud of it. Though he never said so.  
"Rogers is a good artist," pointed out Tony. "In my day, you would've never made a living on that."  
Beaming at the compliment, he answered, "Oh, yes. He is. But he started off thinking it would be a hobby. Or at least... that's what he told me."  
His new friend nodded along, still admiring the picture, when Peggy suddenly came down into the hallway where they were. She smiled politely, obviously hearing the chatter from Jan about the newbie.  
"Hi there," she greeted, extending a hand.  
Tony took it, a lopsided grin on his face. "Hey there, gorgeous. And who might you be?"  
Startled, Steve interrupted, "This is Peggy. Our Maid. _My_ best friend."  
The veteran noticed the emphasis on 'my' and smirked, going back to the painting. For some reason, it wasn't because he didn't want Tony to be interested in her. Steve wanted Tony to be in _him._    
How that was going to work out, he couldn't begin to imagine. Especially with his identity secret.  
He gave a short wave to Peggy as she left and was ready to continue the tour, when he got asked if there was a workshop.  
"Uh, no, but there's the basement if you want to use that," smiled Steve. "You wanting to store the suit down there?"  
Tony gave him a wide eyed look. "Store it away? No! I want to fix it. Being a black smith and all, I can't stand to see the suit that way..."  
"It must be sad."  
"Nah. Just frustrating. Give me a forge, a hammer and some iron and I'll be okay."  
Steve scratched his head. Where would he even get a forge? Maybe he'd just buy him some electric tools and show him how to use them. Or he'd figure it out. He seemed to be good at that.  
"Do you want to go around the city?" he suddenly asked. "Its changed an awful lot."  
"Sure," grinned Tony, "I'm always up for adventure."

  
  
  
"Woah. Cars are so... _different._ Amazing."  
Tony stood on the curb, gaping at the Mini parked up. He'd been like that with everything they'd seen. Stopping for ages and discussing it, then off they went, just to stop another meter away.  
Of course, Steve didn't mind. He was enjoying spending time with his hero. He hadn't told him that. It would be embarrassing. Tony was mainly the reason Steve had decided to become one.  
"Maybe I could get some drafts and make one," he murmured, leaning over, and peering underneath the car.  
People were wondering what he was doing, staring, and in the end, Steve told him they should go look at Mr. Rogers' Art Gallery. There was no hesitation.  
They set off, Tony actually not distracted on the way, even until they arrived. By the expression on his face, Steve could tell his friend was astounded by the sheer size of the building.  
Dragging the veteran in, he showed him all the paintings, hoping his knowledge on them wouldn't give anyway anything. He was pleased to find his art was being awed, especially the Avengers portrait.  
The Art Dealer hurried over as soon as he saw the two, appearing flustered. "Captain! Hello. I, uh, has Mr. Rogers sent you? I didn't realize you would be visiting."  
"Just showing my friend our fine painting," Steve told him, gesturing to Tony.  
His friend smiled. "Tony Stark's the name. I'm a new member of the Avengers. Otherwise known as Iron America."  
Cap almost swallowed his tongue. He'd just told the guy his secret identity. Did he know what he was saying? He told him _his_ identity.  
The Dealer thankfully took it as a joke and gave a half-hearted laugh, then said he had to attend to costumers. As soon as his back was turned, Steve pulled Tony to one side.  
"Why did you say that? You're not meant to tell people who you are!" he exclaimed.  
Tony responded quietly, "I have nothing to lose and only my service to give."  
It hit Cap straight in the gut. He had everything to lose. His wealth, his talent, his fame. Not that it was important to him. But still... he didn't know what it was like to wake up one day and have nothing.  
"That's why I'm glad to be with the Avengers," he added with a brave smile.  
"I'm glad too," said Steve, glowing warmly. "Really glad."  
  
  
  
"Nice to meet you."  
"You too."  
Tony gleamed with happiness, saying, "Why you sponsor the Avengers, I don't know. You must be just a genuinely good person."  
This couldn't have put a wider smile on Steve's face. His hero complimenting him. He tried not to swoon. Although a deep flush had crept onto his face.  
"Oh. Well. I, um, thank you," he answered, grateful to use his normal voice instead of the put-on Captain one. "That's great. Thank you so much."  
The War hero didn't seem to notice the fluster. "And your paintings! Wow. They're brill. I'd hang one up in my room any day. Especially one of me."  
Cap fought off his blush and said, "I could paint you anytime. Just ask."  
"How about right now?"  
"Um... now? Okay, sure."  
Soon, they were sitting in a private room, the other Avengers off in the pool as it was a warm summer's day. Tony stood mid center, grinning madly. He held up his arms and showed off his biceps.  
"Like this?"  
Steve chuckled. "No, no, no. Act natural. How about you sit down?"  
Tony pulled a face, dark eyebrows knitted together. "Sit down? That's a bit boring, isn't it?"  
"Not at all," he replied, a little muffled, as he had the paint brush in his mouth while propping up the easel. "It's natural. It will bring out your inner beauty."  
His friend flicked imaginary hair from off of his shoulder. "Are you saying I'm _not_ beautiful?"  
Cap's cheeks once again burned, hiding behind the canvas. "No. Of course not. Everyone's beautiful."  
_Especially you._  
Shuffling over to the sofa, Tony sat down, looking out of place at first. He was ordered to relax and did just so. Maybe slightly too much. Closing his eyes, Steve hoped he wasn't bored. Or falling asleep.  
After a while, he murmured, "When I went from town to town, I did these war speeches while wearing the suit. And I had to pose for the cameras. I mean. How can you pose in a suit? I did manage it somehow mind you…"  
Stroke after stroke, the sketch became a painting, and Tony talked about his past. Rhodey had been best friend, his sidekick. Apparently, he was lost to sea too. Except no one had found him. Pepper was his sweetheart. And Jarvis was his work partner at the blacksmith's. He talked fondly of them. That hint of loss still crept in.  
Opening his eyes, he gestured to a picture on the wall. "Who's that?"  
"Bucky," replied Steve, smiling. "The closest person in my life. You gotta love him."  
Tony's gaze flickered, eyes dulling. "Oh. Right. He sounds nice."  
Was that disappointment? Did he think… _no._ Him and Bucky weren't a thing. His heart pitter-pattered. Maybe Tony felt the same as he did.  
"Him and Peggy would be sweet," he added tactfully, concentrating back on the portrait.  
He could feel a delighted gaze on him. It made him smile.  
  
  
  
"And here is your workshop!"  
Steve had been working on getting this all ready for a week. He'd done a big shop, buying workbenches, tools, a laptop (which Jan had showed Tony how to use. He was now an expert after spending a whole day on it), spray paint and various other nic-nacs.  
He expected a whole lot of thank yous. But not a hug.   
Tony grouped him up, almost lifting Steve off of his feet. Then the blacksmith had let go, hurrying to look at things around the room. Steve had to tell him to be careful after turning on an electric drill and testing it out on a brand new table.  
"This is incredible. Wait till I tell Cap."  
His heart sunk. He hated to lie to his friend, especially with all the time they had been spending together. But what could he do? He had to keep his identity secret.  
"He knew about this. It was a surprise for you."  
Grinning, the veteran placed on some goggles. "You two are awfully chummy."  
"We are," he said. Inside, he sighed.   
Suddenly, a siren was heard, and up the stairs, a dim red light was just seen. The Avengers alert.   
"Well. I better go. You Avengers have matters to attend to."  
Tony gave him a lopsided smile, saying, "Yup. I'll be one soon. You'll see."  
Steve assumed he was going to fix the suit, and he nodded. With a new spray paint, the armour would be as good as new. He looked forward to seeing it.  
  
  
  
The War hero had been using the phone too conveniently. He called from his room to the kitchen phone, and in the end Cap asked him just to come down the stairs and talk. With a giddy expression on his face, Tony entered the room.  
"Phones are amazing," he announced. "Wish we had ones as good as that back in my time."  
"You pick things up so quick," said Jan, scooping out some honey from a jar. "Thor doesn't even know how to use the toaster."  
At the mention of his name, the Asguardian turned, trying to put a loaf into the microwave. "Tis not as easy as it looks!"  
Tony leant on the counter, picking up a fresh piece of bread and eating it. "Speaking of looks. Is the Captain as dazzling as they say he is?"  
Wasp began to giggle, making Steve blush. Sometimes the veteran didn't think twice about what he said. Thankfully, his cowl hid his red face.  
"We _are_ curious about who is under the mask," spoke up Hank, who was feeding bread crumbs into his Ant farm.  
"Aye. You know who we be," added Thor.  
Cap felt pushed back into a corner. The Avengers always had asked him to reveal his identity. But with Tony being there, he really wanted to, and didn't at the same time. What would he say?  
"Secret identity," he reminded. "Stays a secret."  
"Aw," muttered Jan, licking her fingers. "Maybe one day."  
Maybe one day indeed...  
The Avengers siren went off at the right time, relieving Steve of the pressure. They all darted off to get their things. Even Tony did.  
And when they got to the AvengJet, he wasn't in sight.   
"Come on, Cap," ushered Jan.  
"But, _Tony."_  
There was a noisy whir that erupted from down the hall, grabbing the two's attention.   
And entering at the right time, swooped in the amped up blue, white and red suit, landing perfectly in front of them. It looked incredible, the armour fitting him perfectly.   
"Iron America, reporting for duty," said Tony, saluting with a gauntlet hand.  
"Welcome aboard," responded Steve, beaming.  
The three sat down along side Thor and Hank, and off they went. The plane soared over New York, landing on a road near the waterside, at storage units.  
In the middle of the site were the ugliest brutes Cap had ever seen. A man in a purple fury leotard, a woman in an overall green outfit, a giant of a guy with an Asguardian looking weapon, a glowing green man, and a large bulky red armoured person (resembling Tony's).  
"Iron America," the suited man boomed. "I see you're alive."  
"You missed me, Dynamo, you Soviet scum?" quipped Tony, obviously grinning under the mask.  
A crackling growl was heard, and the Crimson Dynamo pointed to all the Avengers. "Masters of Evil! Destroy them!"  
The five members of the villain team charged forward, bellowing battle cries.   
Jan groaned, shrinking down. "How cliché can you get? Honestly!"  
The fight begun. Hank enlarged himself, trying fruitlessly to grab hold of the toxic looking criminal known as Radioactive Man. Thor battled with the Asguardian looking guy called The Executioner. Janet fighting the blonde haired woman named The Enchantress. Cap with Baron Zemo, who wore a too skin tight outfit, and wielded a spindly sword.  
And of course, Tony was firing blasts at the Dynamo. Steve tried not to be anxious, and wasn't as focused as he should've been. But this was Iron America's first battle. He wanted to make sure his friend was alright.  
Tony swooped out of the way of a hit, and stopped mid air. "Give it up, Crimson. You can't catch me."  
"But I can catch him."  
Steve spun around. But not at the right time.   
The blast collided with his chest. It knocked him off his feet,  and was sent hurtling into the air. The blow was so hard that it propelled him straight through several of the storage units.  
For a moment after he landed, he blanked out, dizzy from knocking his head. When Tony flew over and asked if he was alright, he said yes although his head was swaying and his vision blurred.  
Iron America crouched down, gently holding his head up with his metal hand. "I need to check you, Steve, to see if you're concussed."  
He blinked. "Wh... what did you just call me?"  
Tony lifted his faceplate. "I'm a smart guy. I know it's you, Steve. No more secrets."  
Swallowing hard, Cap stared at him. Was he mad? Annoyed? Plain bitter? He didn't look it. But he sure could have been be.  
"I should have told you," he slurred, grabbing his friend's shoulder for support. He felt as if he'd pass out. And not because he had hit his head.  
"Damn right you should," Tony smiled. He pulled back Steve's black cowl, brushing his fingers across his head. "You're okay."  
"I'm more than okay," he replied. "Cos you're here."  
The veteran nodded. "There's no getting rid of me now, Mister.   Take me on a date and I'm all yours... But, um, that's legal now. Right?"  
Steve was blushing and laughing. "It wouldn't matter if it wasn't, Tony. It's what's inside that makes the difference. How you feel."   
"Stop with the mush! Good grief. You'll make my bad heart go out."  
There was a loud yell for them to come help, interrupting the moment, and the two chuckled. Clambering to his feet, Tony offered Steve his hand. He took it. And was never going to let it go again.  



End file.
